Household refrigerator with through-the-door ice service



a J. ALvAREz Nov." 3, 1970 HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR WITH THROUGH-THE-DOORICE SERVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ Flea

INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. ALVAREZ ms ATTORNEY R. J. ALVKREZ Nev. 3, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Sept. 3, 1968 FlG.2

8 4 m 6 5 Z 4% CA Wm E T .J mm w J 3 S e V A M o a 3 z 3 W m 2 7 n .+1 TA 2 n R u 4 Z 3 4 4 E S a 3 Z 4 4 w m n S 7 R Y B Q @1 i Q 2 Q Q 4 h [JM 7 I f. 3 4 3 v A 4 s l 4 3 5 5 2 o 5 3 a Z Unitcd States Patent Office3,537,132 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A householdrefrigerator divided by a horizontal partition into an upper freezercompartment and a lower fresh food compartment includes an ice dispenserin the freezer compartment, an ice service area in the face of the freshfood compartment door and aligned passages in the partition and thefresh food door for conducting ice from the dispenser to the servicearea.

BACKGROUND OF 'II-[E INVENTION Many modern household refrigeratorsfeature automatic ice makers including a receptacle for receiving andstoring a supply of ice at below freezing temperatures. All of thecommercially available refrigerators including this feature requireopening of the freezing compartment door whenever the user desires toobtain ice pieces from the receptacle and regardless of the number ofice pieces required at any one time. Each door opening results inentrance of moist air into the freezer compartment and loss ofrefrigerated air from that compartment. To avoid the resultant increaseload on the refrigeration system and for added user convenience, it isdesirable to provide means for dispensing the stored ice piecesexteriorly of the refrigerator cabinet. In previously proposed servicesof this type, the ice pieces have been dispensed through a passageprovided in a stationary wall of the cabinet as shown for example inPat. 2,212,405 Rose et al. issued Aug. 20, 1940. However, sucharrangements cannot be adapted to modern refrigerator cabinets in whichthe only exposed surfaces may be the door or doors which overlap thefront edges of the cabinet and thus form the entire face of the cabinet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is particularly concernedwith a combination refrigerator freezer including a horizontal partitiondividing the refrigerator cabinet into an upper freezer compartment anda lower fresh food compartment and an ice service area in the lower orfresh food compartment door at a convenient level, as for examplesubstantially at counter top level. The ice dispenser is positionedwithin the upper or freezer compartment and means for conducting icepieces from the dispenser to the service area comprises a first passageextending through the partition with its upper end positioned to receiveice pieces from the dispenser and its lower or outlet end positioned todischarge these ice pieces into a second passage provided in a freshfood compartment door or more specifically in the upper edge portionthereof. The second passage is arranged to conduct the ice piecesdirectly to the service area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a household refrigerator includingthe ice dispensing service of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the door structure shown inFIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the door structure illustratingadditional details thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With particular reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated acombination household refrigerator including an upper freezercompartment 1 and a lower fresh food compartment 2 separated from thefreezer compartment by a horizontal partition 3. The front accessopenings to these compartments are respectfully closed by a freezercompartment door 4 and a fresh food compartment 5.

The fresh food door 5 comprises spaced outer and inner panels 6 and 7with the peripheral edges of the door, including the top edge 8,comprising part of the inner panel 7 and being of a substantial width.More specifically as H lustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing, theupper edge 8 of the fresh food door is of a width such that when thedoor is closed it substantially overlaps the front or mullion portion 9of the partition 3.

The outer panel Wall 6 forming the face of the fresh food door 5includes a recess 10 generally defining a service center or area atwhich ice pieces are delivered exteriorly of the cabinet from an icedispenser 11 positioned in the freezer compartment 1.

The illustrated ice dispenser 11 is of the type more fully described andclaimed in the copending application of Robert J. Alvarez, Ser. No.668,364 filed Sept. 18, 1967 (now Pat. No. 3,422,994) and assigned tothe same assignee as the present invention. Briefly described itincludes, as shown more particularly in FIG. 2, a receptacle 14 forreceiving and storing ice pieces produced by an automatic ice maker 15and rotatable dispensing means 16 positioned in the receptacle anddriven by speed reduction drive means including a motor 18. Thereceptacle includes a discharge opening 19 at the front thereof and uponrotation of the dispensing means 16, ice pieces stored in the receptacleare conveyed to the discharge opening 19 through which batches of thestored ice are periodically discharged.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided whereby thebatchesof ice periodically discharge through the opening 19 aredelivered directly to the service area represented by the recess 10. Tothis end, the partition 3 includes a passage 20. having its inlet end 21in the upper surface of the partition for receiving ice pieces from thedischarge opening 19 and its lower end 22 terminating in the front ormullion portion 9 of the partition above the upper edge 8 of the freshfood compartment door. The fresh food compartment door 5 includes apassage 22 having its inlet 24 in the upper door edge 8 aligned with theoutlet end 22 of the partition passage 23 when the door is closed andits outlet end 25 in the top wall of the service recess 10.

Preferably both of the passages 20 and 24 are composed of a heatinsulating material such as a plastic material.

Both of the passages 20 and 24 also include means for limiting orpreventing the circulation of air through these passages. The passage 20includes a trap door 27 adjacent the lower outlet fi-ontend thereofwhich is either gravity or spring biased to a normally closed positionand which is opened by the weight of the ice during discharge of the icethrough the passage 20. The specific design of the passage 20 and thetrap door 27 depends to some extent upon the size of the ice piecesbeing conducted into the service area 10. When these ice pieces are ofthe usual cube size, the passage 20 and the trap door 27 are designed topermit the passage of the ice pieces and to substantially or completelyprevent the flow of air through the passage 20 which as will be seenfrom FIG. 2 of the drawing in effect connects the freezer compartment 1with the fresh food compartment 2. However, if crushed ice provided forexample by the crushing means described and claimed in the copendingapplication of Robert J. Alvarez, Ser. No. 756,934 filed concurrentlyherewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention isincluded in the ice service, it is desirable that the passage 20 beoperating continuouly at below freezing temperatures to prevent thecrushed ice from adhering to the walls thereof.

To assure such cooling of the walls of the passage 20, the trap door 27is designed so that it does not completely close the passage 20 when inits normal or closed position but rather permits the flow of a smallamount of the relatively heavy below freezing air from the freezingcompartment 1 downwardly through the passage 20 during normal operationof the refrigerator. If the refrigerator is the type such as illustratedin the accompanying drawing in which both the freezer compartment andfresh food compartment are maintained at their proper operatingtemperatures by the circulation of air over an evaporator 30 positionedwithin the partition 3 by means of a fan 31, the duct work providing theair circulation may be designed so that a slightly higher pressure ismaintained in the freezercompartment 1 than in the fresh foodcompartment 2 thus assuring a downward flow of freezer air through thepassage 20 whenever the fan 31 is running.

As the door passage 23 is in communication with the ambient or room air,it is desirable that a more positive sealing means be provided forpreventing flow of air through this passage. Thus there may be employeda mechanically operated trap door 33 pivotally mounted by means of ashaft 32 within the upper end of passage 23 and adapted to seat againstshoulders 34 formed by the reduced inlet end of the passage 23. Themeans for operating the trap door 33 comprises, as shown particularly inFIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, a pushrod 35 slidably mounted in the rearwall 36 of the recess and having a rear end portion adapted to engage anofiset or crank portion 37 of a drive member 38 pivotally mounted on therear surface of the wall 36. This drive member also includes an arm 40connected by a link 41 to an arm 42 forming part of the shaft 32. Thusrotation of the member 38 moves the arm 42 downwardly and thus pivotsthe trap door 33 about the axis of its shaft 32. When pressure on therod is released, spring 44 returns the trap door to its closed position.

Rearward movementof the rod 35 is also employed to operate the icedispenser. When the rod approaches its innermost position, a finger 50carried by rod 35 contacts and closes a switch 51 which controls theenergization of the dispenser motor 18.

Thus the ice service is so designed that when pressure isapplied to therod 35 by glass or other receptacle inserted into the recess 10, thetrap door operating mechanism pivots the trap door 33 downwardly to itsopen 4 position before the switch 51 closes to operate the icedispenser. Batches of ice pieces are thereupon dispensed into the glassor other receptacle until pressure on the rod 35 is removed. In order toprevent ice pieces which have just been discharged from the dispenserfrom being trapped by the closing of the trap door 33, there ispreferably provided a time delay for keeping the trap door 33 open for afew seconds after opening the switch 51. Any suitable device may beemployed for this purpose. The illustrated means, generally indicated bythe numera 54, comprises a dash pot arrangement mounted rearwardly fromthe recess 10 and pivotally connected to the crank arm 40. The dash pot54 delays the action of the spring 44 in returning the trap door 33 toits closed position. While there has been shown and described what isconsidered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto and it is intendedby the appended claims to cover all modifications falling within thespirit and scope of the invention. What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerator comprising an upper freezer compartment, a lowerfresh food compartment, a partition separating said compartments and adoor for closing the access opening to said lower fresh food compartmentand having an upper edge in overlapping relation to a front portion ofsaid partition when said door is in its closed position:

ice service means comprising an ice dispenser positioned in said freezercompartment, an ice service area in the outer face of said door andmeans for conducting ice pieces from said dispenser to said area;

said conducting means comprising a first passage extending through saidpartition and having an upper end positioned to receive ice from saiddispenser and a lower end in said front portion of said partition; and

a second passage in said door for receiving ice pieces from said firstpassage and conducting said ice pieces to said service area.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 including normally closed means in atleast one of said passages for restricting air circulation therethrough;

said means being opened as ice pieces pass through said passages. 3. Therefrigerator of claim 2 in which said restricting means is positionedadjacent the outletend of said first passage.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 including normally closed air circulationrestricting means in said second passage and operating means in saidservice area for concurrently opening said air circulation restrictingmeans and operating said dispenser.

5. The refrigeration of claim 1 including means for maintaining at leastthe upper portion of said first passage at below freezing temperatures.

6. In a refrigerator comprising an upper freezer compartment, a lowerfresh food compartment, a horizontal partition separating saidcompartments, a door comprising spaced inner and outer panels forclosing the access opening to said lower fresh food compartment andhaving an upper edge overlapping a portion of said partition when saiddoor is in its closed position:

ice service means comprising an ice dispenser positioned in said freezercompartment and having a discharge opening in the front wall thereof, anice service area in the outer face of said door and means for conductingice from said dispenser to said area;

said conducting means comprising a first passage extending through saidpartition and having an inlet end positioned to receive ice from saiddischarge opening and an outlet end above said upper edge of said door,and

5 a second passage in said door for receiving ice from said firstpassage and conducting it to said service area.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 including a normally closed trap door insaid first passage for restricting air flow therethrough.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 in which said trap door permitssufiicient flow of air from said freezer compartment through said firstpassage to maintain the walls of said first passage at below freezingtemperatures.

9. The refrigerator of claim 6 including also a normally closed trapdoor in said second passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,651 9/1950 Van Vleck 62-345X 2,697,918 12/1954 Comstock 62-344 X 5 3,327,493 6/1967 Iacobus 62-443X WILLIAM E. WAYNER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

